Lubricator.



G. F. STEEDMAN.

LUBRICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY4, 1914.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

out. i Briefly stated, my invention consists in a and carrying the parts 'St. Louis, Missouri,

vide a lubricator which carry the oil tothe'parts .tion is. limited to use with anapparatus oi the particular kind ,herein 's'rn'rns rA'rnn'r Fro. I

enoncn r. 'srnnpiviau. or ST. LOUIS, Missouri.

L BnIcA'ronL v i r Specification of Letters iiatent.

, Patented Dec. 15, 1914. Application filed May 4, 1914. Serial No. 836,335. I

are

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, GEORGE F. STEEDMAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at have. invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lubricators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to lubricators, and particularly automatic lubricators which are so designed that'the use of lubricant will cease when the machine or apparatus with which the lubricator is used ceases operatl ga The main object of my invention is to prois so designed that a current of air traveling through a conduit will draw oil from a source of supply and which it is desired to lubricate, and that will use no lubricant when the current of air does not travel through said conduit.

Another object is to provide a device that will supply lubricant in a vaporized form to a machine or apparatus only while the apparatus continues in operation, the supply oflubricant from said device ceasing automatically when the apparatus stops, and still another object is to provide an efficient, simple and inexpensive lubricator for pneumatic machines and apparatu swhich is absolutely automatic in its operation and uses the ordinary oils of commerce.

Other objectsand desirable" features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed namely, an air hoist, as this is only one of many types of apparatus that can be successfully lubricated by my improved lubricator.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevational View of an air hoist equipped with a lubricator constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view'of the lubricator showing it appliedto the conduit through which the actuating fluid travels. Fig. 3 is a side ele- I vational view, partly in vertical section, illustrating a modification of my invention; and Fig. 4: is a similar view illustrating another modification of the invention.

, Referring to the drawings which illustrate an air hoist equipped with my improved lubricator A designates the cylinder of the hoist, and 1 designates the supply pipe that leads from a supply of air under pressure to a valve casing 2, which is equipped with a valve for controlling the inlet and exhaust of the air to and from the opposite ends of the cylinder through the pipes 3, the hoist herein shown being equipped with speed control boxes 4 that are provided with valves.

1 have herein illustrated my improved lubricator as being used for lubricating the pistoninjthe cylinder A. and also the valves in the valve casing2, and the speed con trolling boxes 1 Said lubricator consists of an oil'reservoiror holder B that is adapted to hold a quantity ofoil, and a porous oilsupplying device arranged in engagement with theoil in the reservoir B and projecting inthe air supply pipe 1'. The oil supplying device C preferably consists of a piece of wick and the level of the oil in the reser-, voir B isbelowthe point where the device C projects into the conduit 1, but capillary attraction causes oil to be drawn up through the porous deviceC whenever a current of air travels through the conduit 1. The current'of. air acting on the device G blows the oil ofi same and carries the .oil in a vaporized statethrough the valve casing 2, pipe 3, and speed control boxes 4: into the-cylinderA; thus keeping the piston and the valves of the apparatus lubricated. When the flow of air through the conduit 1 ceases, the supply of oil from thedevice C ceases owing to the fact that the oil is drawn up through the device Ov by capillary attraction. Consequently there is no possibility of the apparatusrecei 'ng an excessive supply of oil as lubricator comprising acapillary oil-supplying device arranged in communication with a supply of oil and projecting'into an air conduit that leads to the part or parts which it is desired to lubricate,the current of air that travels-through said conduit blowing the 'oilofl'. said oil-supplying device the oil? in a vaporized state to which require lubrication. a

My invention can be used successfully in variouskinds of machines andapparatus in which a current of air traveling through a conduit either under pressure or by suction comes in contact with or acts upon thepart or parts to be lubricated, and therefore do not Wish it-to be understood that the invenillustrated p is no Waste of oil,

' I vary the amount of would result if the oil were fed tothe appa ratus Continuously drop by drop. Nor isthere any possibility of the apparatus re-' ceiving an excessive supply or an inadequate.

supply as might result if a manually operated device Were provided for starting and cutting off the supply of oil. The lu-, bricator is absolutely tion, and it is of such simple construction that thereis little liability of its getting out of ordervvhen it is in use; Furthermore, it can be manufactured at a loW cost and it can be applied easily to various kinds of machines and apparatus in which a current of air traveling through a conduit acts upon or comes in contact With the parts of the apparatus Which it is desired to lubricate.

The automatic feeding action of the Wick maybe compared to that of the ordinary coaloil lamp Wick. In the lamp, one end of the wick is in the'oil and the Wick carries oil by capillary attraction to the burner, and the Wick constantly supplies all the oil the flame needs so long as there is any oil in the lamp. If, however, there is no flame, there flow When not burning. In thesame Way, oil consumed by varyingthesurface'oi' the Wick exposed.

A protector or shield is preferably-provided for the oil' supply device C so as to prevent said device from being torn to 7 pieces by the current of air in the conduit 1,

as to. expose the device andin the preferred form of myinvention as shown in Fig. 2, said protector consists of a casing that surrounds the device, C and it is provided With holes or perforations 5 so air that travels through the conduit 1, the

.in'cross section. I p I vided With a removable closurej6 that norsome distance from shield conforming to the'shape of the oil'-' supplying device Which, of my invention herein illustrated, is round The reservoir Bis promally closes the 'filling opening inthe top of the reservoir and adjacent the upper end of "the reservoir is a laterally projecting sleeve 7 that is screwed into the side Wallof the air conduit 1 so as to supportsaid' reservoir, and also hold the exposed portion of the oil supplying device G adjacent the eenter of the conduit 1 through Which the air flows, said sleeve 7 projecting inwardly duit 1. I I shield D, projects into the sleeve 7 and When it is desired to increase the quantity of oil supplied by the device: C, said shieild is 6 moved "farther into "air that travels through the conduit 1 so that more of the device 0 Will be exposed to the said'conduit. When it is desire-d to diminish the supply of oil, the shield D is retracted slightly. "Any suitable means may be employed for holding the oil-supplying device "C and its protectautomatic in opera-' as the lamp does not over- 0' to the current-of I in the embodiment the side Wall of the con- I The tubular shaped protector or jecting" into shield in adjusted position, but one means that I have found to-be very efiicient consistsof a'Wire retaining pin 8 that passes transversely through the oil-supplying ,de

a vice, throughthe'shield D and through holes in the sleeve 7 the ends of said pin being bent slightly as shownin Fig. 2, so as to holdit-in position. In viewof the fact that the operating shield D nlunerousjholes or perforations that are arranged close 'together, it is'possible With such a construction to accurately regulate the supply of oil to-the apparatus. -Furthermore, as theretaining pinS passes trans device C being held in adjusted position and In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a slight modialso :sec'urelylocked to the'shield by means 7 that passes transversely of a p ece of Wire 8 through a slot'in the upper 'side of the Shield D. Fig. 4 illustrates a similanstructure except that theupper side of the 'shield D is cut off "at an angle, thus exposing the upper sides of the oil-supplying device Cto the direct action of the current of air traveling through the conduit'l, such construction b- 1 is provided With angle so that a portion of i I mg very eflicientfo an apparatus in' Which the'pressure'of the air in the conduit 1 is not so great that it :Would tend to tear aporous fuel-supplyingdevice to pieces.

Having thus descr'bed my'invention, What claim as new and desire to secure'by Letters Patent is:

' 1. Alubricator for th'e'pu'rpose described, 1 comprising a porous oil-supplying i device that Is adapted to be arrangedin a conduit through Which air flows, a reservoir for holding oil that isfsuppli'ed'to said "device by capillary attraction,

from the upper portion of said-reservoir at a point above the level' of the oil insaine, and an adjustable perforated shield that surrounds said oil-supplying device and j ects laterally into said air conduit.

current of air flows, and a'fsleeve on the u per portion of sald reservoir that'connects the reservoir to the conduit through Which the air flows and also acts as afsupjport for the oil-supplying device, said sleeve prosaid conduit so as to hold the 2. A" lubricator Y for the purpose described," 'comprising'a'nbil reservoir, a porous oil-'- supplying device communicating with the oil in jsaid reservoirand ranged in a passageway through which a,

said device leading adapted to be arexposed portionof said oil-supplying de vice adjacent the center of said air conduit.

3. A lubricator for the purpose described, consisting of an oil reservoir provided with a sleeve that is adapted to be connected to a conduit through which a current of air travels, a porous oil-supplying device in said sleeve that projects into said conduit and which communicates with the oil in said reservoir, a shield for protecting a portion of said device which projects into said conduit, and means cooperating with said sleeve for holding said shield in position.

4. An automatic lubricator consisting of a suitable oil chamber with filling plug con- Jopies oi this patent may be obtained for nected with an air-carrying pipe, a capillary conductor with its lower end in the oil chamber and its upper end so placed as to come in contact with a current of air in the pipe, and an adjustable perforated protecting shell so arranged that a greater or. less area of the capillary conductor may be exposed to the actionof the air current. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this thirtieth day of April, 1914,.

, GEORGE F. STEEDMAN. \Vitnesses:

R. E. WINKLER, L. S. BUcKLEs.

Washington, D. 0.

five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, 

